Market town network improvement strategy

Local plans have identified a large amount of planned housing and employment growth around many of Norfolk's market towns.

County Council members have agreed a programme of studies looking at the transport impacts of growth in market towns. This will allow us to identify and plan interventions ahead of the growth.

The first set of towns agreed for 2017/18 are Dereham, Swaffham, North Walsham, Thetford and Diss. The second year programme agreed for 2018/19 are Aylsham, Downham Market, Fakenham, Wroxham and Hoveton and Wymondham.

Scope of the studies

Understand current transport problems and issues

Analyse road traffic casualties
Consider parking: provision for town centre parking for business and retail needs (on and off-street), provision for residents
Identify traffic issues: local congestion hotspots, inappropriate speeds, traffic on inappropriate streets
Analyse public transport provision: access to the town from the surrounding area by public transport (bus and rail), quality of public transport infrastructure (stops, stations), need for bus priority
Assess access to services and facilities including jobs, health, school or other training opportunities
Map cycle networks and pedestrian routes between major origins and destinations. Identify any major issues, eg lack of crossing points or direct routes
Assess the use of intelligent transport systems and driver information systems to help manage the network and off-street parking, optimise public transport services and provide data for inclusion in information systems
A 'placemaking' approach to map planning, design and management of public spaces.

Understand the future situation (growth proposals and their impacts on transport)

Understand growth proposals identified in the local plans, or other aspirations, eg in neighbourhood plans. Consider what these might lead to in 30-50 years.
Understand the impacts of these proposals on the local transport network, including to identify transport infrastructure that is required to:
- Mitigate the impacts of the growth (likely to be delivered by developers)
- Help bring forward the growth and overcome existing or future problems (likely to delivered by local partners)
Understand implications of future changes to the economy or transport provision, and the future role of the town with reference to the New Anglia Integrated Transport Strategy and New Anglia Economic Strategy

Develop an implementation plan

Identify appropriate interventions to address issues identified above
Estimate cost of interventions
Determine priorities and timescales for delivery
Identify potential funding sources and partners for delivery

Committee reports

In March 2019 the Dereham Market Town Network Improvement Strategy was adopted.

On 6 April 2020 Cllr Martin Wilby, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport, agreed to adopt the market town network improvement strategies under his delegated decision-making powers (as Cabinet was cancelled). The Wymondham Network Improvement Strategy was adopted later by Cabinet in September 2020. The Final Market Town Network Improvement Strategies are available below.